SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – Wichita State sophomore Markis McDuffie, Belmont senior Evan Bradds and Duke Freshman Jayson Tatum are three of 20 watch list members for the 2017 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Markis McDuffie – goshockers.com
McDuffie enjoyed a strong freshman season, averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 2015-16 on his way to Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He was also voted to the league’s All-Newcomer and All-Bench teams.
Bradds, who was named 2016 OVC Player of the Year, Honorable Mention AP All-American, and All-District by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), led the nation in field goal percentage (.714) for a second straight season.
Tatum a St. Louis native, played at Chaminade Preparatory High School, where he led the St. Louis area in scoring and his team to a state title. Tatum has been a part of multiple national teams and was consistently ranked as one of the top five players amongst all of last year’s high school seniors.
Now in its third year, the award recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determines the initial list of 20 candidates.
By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2017 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2017 Julius Erving Award will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 7, 2017. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.
The award is named in honor of 11-time NBA All-Star and three-time MVC, Julius Erving. The former University of Massachusetts standout is one of only six NCAA men’s basketball players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game.
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015). For more information on the 2017 Julius Erving Award, log onto www.HoophallAwards.com.
Editor: most of this information came from www.goshockers.com and www.ovcsports.com. We just wanted you to see it.
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